How to Make Amazing Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories is a feature allowing you to showcase content that expires after 24 hours. Given the fact that there are over 500 million daily Instagram Stories users, business owners need to take it seriously.

The good news is that everything you need for Instagram Story success is accessible and free, provided you know what to do. Our Miami web design team is eager to teach you how!

9 Tips to Create Amazing Instagram Stories

1. Share Current and Relevant News on Instagram Stories

There are many reasons why business owners post IG Stories. You could post your sales, discounts, new items, contests, and new blog posts. The types of content are endless.

After you've created or uploaded content from your camera roll, you can add a call-to-action. You can also share a link to lead your viewers where you want them to go (e.g., a landing page).

Speaking of links, if you have 10,000 or more Instagram followers, you may add a direct link to your Instagram Story and tell viewers to swipe up to go to the link. If you have less than 10K followers, post something in your bio asking readers to visit the link.

It's also crucial to incorporate hashtags in the form of stickers or text. This guarantees that your article appears in more people's newsfeeds.

2. Use Product Stickers on Instagram Stories to Promote Specific Products

Do you want to advertise a specific product? That's what product stickers are for!  

They're a simple way to attach a link, allowing your followers to learn more about a product, or even purchase it directly from your Instagram Story. Small businesses can use this feature too; there is no 10,000-follower minimum to use product stickers.

While most business accounts can use product stickers, there are a few exceptions:

• You must have a business account.
• The functionality isn't available globally (it's only available in 46 countries, including the United States).
• You must have the latest version of the Instagram app, whether on iOS or Android.
• You must sell tangible or physical items that adhere to Facebook’s Commerce Policies and Commerce Product Merchant Agreement.
• Your IG business profile must be linked to a Facebook catalog.

3. Use Quiz Stickers to Make Quizzes on Instagram Stories

Everyone enjoys showing off their knowledge about a specific topic. This is where you could make use of the "quiz" stickers for Instagram Stories. 

Instagram now allows its users to submit multiple-choice questions on Instagram Stories. Others may respond by pressing their preferred option. Once your followers are done answering, they can quickly get the results of the quiz to know how well they did.

Use quiz stickers to get customers to interact with your brand and monitor the outcomes. You can ask any questions like:

• Which of our services do you believe is our best-selling?
• In what year did we establish our business?
• Which color of our best-selling dress are you most likely to buy?

Instagram Stories quiz stickers can give you a better understanding of your audience.

4. Host Chats on Instagram Stories Using Chat Stickers

This tool makes use of IG's direct-messaging capabilities to provide Snapchat-like interaction to your Instagram posts or videos.

When you add a chat sticker to your IG Story, you can hand-pick up to 32 people for a live chat right then and there. Users request access, which you can then approve.

The topic can be whatever your business wants to know or talk about. Obtain consumer input on items, new product ideas, or your brand in general.

Hello, instant focus group!

5. Run Instagram Story Polls Using Poll Stickers

A poll is something that everyone enjoys. It takes just a second to engage, it's entertaining, and the results are visible. Poll stickers are popular among IG influencers and users alike for these reasons.

You can start by simply asking a yes-or-no question, like:

• Should we offer a free trial service for spring?
• Would you want this bag in red?
• Do you want a free shipping voucher or a 10% discount code?

Users may interact with your brand by just tapping their reaction, and you can view the results in real-time. To create a poll, just go to your IG stories and click create. Then, look for the poll sticker.

6. Ask Your Audience Questions Using Question Stickers

When you need one-of-a-kind responses to a brand-related inquiry, it's time to use question stickers. They let you ask questions, get personalized answers, and react through DM to maintain user engagement.

Not sure what kind of picture to use? It might be a selfie, a product, or any other graphic that fits your brand's identity. Make sure that your chosen photo makes your Story stand out.

7. Use the IG Lives Feature

When you go "Live" with an Instagram Stories live video, your account's engagement can skyrocket. You'll instantly capture the attention of Instagram users, mainly because active people who follow you will get a notification every time you go live. As a result, scheduling your live streaming around peak traffic hours is a fantastic idea.

Want to know when the best time is to go live on IG? Check out this article on The Best Time To Post On Instagram.

Also, keep in mind that live means live — so make sure you're prepared before you push the camera symbol, choose "Live," and press the record button! Learn how to go live on Instagram Stories by visiting this page.

8. Add Color to Your Profile with Instagram Stories Highlights

Do you have a Story that's just too fantastic for 24 hours? Save your favorite Instagram Story slides to Instagram Stories Highlights (these are the row of bubbles in the center of your profile).

Stories saved to Instagram Story Highlights remain there indefinitely. Click here to discover how to include a story in your own Story highlights.

9. Leverage Instagram Stories Ads

You don't have to be a luxury brand like Gucci or Chanel to get your Instagram Story in front of a massive new targeted audience. You only need to create an ad and pay a small fee to have Instagram promote your branded Story using Meta's Ads Manager. 

You may also add up to ten hashtags to your Story, including one clickable hashtag sticker.

To have your ads appear on Instagram Stories, follow these steps:

• Navigate to Meta Ads Manager and click + Create.
• Select a target that corresponds to your marketing aim.
• Fill in the blanks for your campaign's specifics. Select Automatic Placements at the Placements level. Check the option for Stories under Instagram if you choose Manual Placements.
• Continue by determining your ad's budget and timeline. The following stages will be connected to selecting aspects that will influence how your ad will appear.
• Choose Single Image, Single Video, or Carousel as an ad format. Then, view the advertisement specifics.
• Finish by providing any photos or videos you want to include in your ad. If you picked an image and any appropriate target other than Traffic (app or Messenger), Video views, Messages, Conversions (app or Messenger), or Store traffic, you may transform your creative into a vertical Stories animation using stories templates, a free design tool.
• Select Confirm to finish your ad. You may see a preview of your ad before submitting it for approval. Select Instagram Stories from the menu to see how your ad will appear in that spot. In the Creative Hub, you can also make mock-ups for your commercials.

Allow Us to Help You Make Amazing Instagram Stories

Now it's time to put your knowledge to use. As you use these features, keep in mind that you must remain consistent with each Instagram Story to be effective.

You don't need to be a Photoshop whiz to create professional-looking profile photographs, images, graphics, or videos.

At Digital Resource, our Miami web design team can help you establish your visual identity, then use simple, accessible, and customizable design tools to create eye-catching profile images, Instagram posts, and Instagram Stories.

Contact us today for a free consultation.